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of age

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age

  [eyj] noun, verb, aged, ag⋅ing or age⋅ing.
Use of age in a Sentence
–noun
1. the length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to: trees of unknown age; His age is 20 years.
2. a period of human life, measured by years from birth, usually marked by a certain stage or degree of mental or physical development and involving legal responsibility and capacity: the age of discretion; the age of consent; The state raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 years.
3. the particular period of life at which a person becomes naturally or conventionally qualified or disqualified for anything: He was over age for military duty.
4. one of the periods or stages of human life: a person of middle age.
5. advanced years; old age: His eyes were dim with age.
6. a particular period of history, as distinguished from others; a historical epoch: the age of Pericles; the Stone Age; the age of electronic communications.
7. the period of history contemporary with the span of an individual's life: He was the most famous architect of the age.
8. a generation or a series of generations: ages yet unborn.
9. a great length of time: I haven't seen you for an age. He's been gone for ages.
10. the average life expectancy of an individual or of the individuals of a class or species: The age of a horse is from 25 to 30 years.
11. Psychology. the level of mental, emotional, or educational development of a person, esp. a child, as determined by various tests and based on a comparison of the individual's score with the average score for persons of the same chronological age.
12. Geology.
a. a period of the history of the earth distinguished by some special feature: the Ice Age.
b. a unit of geological time, shorter than an epoch, during which the rocks comprising a stage were formed.
13. any of the successive periods in human history divided, according to Hesiod, into the golden, silver, bronze, heroic, and iron ages.
14. Cards.
a. Poker. the first player at the dealer's left. Compare edge (def. 10a).
b. eldest hand.
–verb (used without object)
15. to grow old: He is aging rapidly.
16. to mature, as wine, cheese, or wood: a heavy port that ages slowly.
–verb (used with object)
17. to make old; cause to grow or seem old: Fear aged him overnight.
18. to bring to maturity or a state fit for use: to age wine.
19. to store (a permanent magnet, a capacitor, or other similar device) so that its electrical or magnetic characteristics become constant.
—Idiom
20. of age, Law.
a. being any of several ages, usually 21 or 18, at which certain legal rights, as voting or marriage, are acquired.
b. being old enough for full legal rights and responsibilities.
Origin:
1225–75; (n.) ME < AF, OF aage, eage, equiv. to aé (< L aetātem acc. of ae(vi)tās age; aev(um) time, lifetime + -itās -ity ) + -age -age; (v.) ME agen, deriv. of the n.

Synonyms:
6. Age, epoch, era, period all refer to an extent of time. Age usually implies a considerable extent of time, esp. one associated with a dominant personality, influence, characteristic, or institution: the age of chivalry. Epoch and era are often used interchangeably to refer to an extent of time characterized by changed conditions and new undertakings: an era (or epoch) of invention. epoch sometimes refers especially to the beginning of an era: the steam engine—an epoch in technology. A period may be long or short, but usually has a marked condition or feature: the glacial period; a period of expansion. 16. ripen, mellow, develop.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

age 
1297, "long but indefinite period in human history," from O.Fr. aage, from V.L. *ætaticum (cf. Sp. edad, It. eta), from L. ætatem (nom. ætas), "period of life," from ævum "lifetime, eternity, age," from PIE base *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity" (see eon). Meaning "time something has lived, particular length or stage of life" is from c.1315. Used especially for "old age" since c.1330. Expelled native eld. The verb meaning "to grow old" is from 1398. Ageism "discrimination against people based on age" was coined 1969 by U.S. gerontologist Robert N. Butler, on pattern of racism, sexism.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: age
Function: noun
: the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises age is 18> —see also LEGAL AGE, MAJORITY
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2age
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: aged; ag·ing or age·ing
intransitive senses
: tobecome old : show the effects or the characteristics of increasing age age transitive senses
: to cause to become old
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

age (āj)
n.
The length of time that one has existed; duration of life. v.

  1. To become old.

  2. To manifest traits associated with old age.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

of age

  1. Old enough, according to the law, to be eligible for something, as in In this state he's not of age for buying liquor, but he may vote, or Next year Jane's coming of age and will get her driver's license. This usage was first recorded about 1430. The term under age signifies being too young to be eligible, as in It's against the law to serve alcohol to anyone under age.

  2. come of age. Mature or develop fully, as in The school's bilingual program has finally come of age.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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